Brazos County staff outline plan to take over downtown parking garage; court to consider lease terms and reserved-space rates

Brazos County staff told the Commissioners Court at a March 25 workshop that the county will assume operational responsibility for the downtown parking garage on April 15 and will ask the court next week to approve lease terms and a new billing schedule for 16 reserved spaces.

The discussion focused on short-term transition steps — service contracts, staffing for after-hours calls, ticketing-system replacement — and on how the county will bill people who now hold reserved spaces. County Auditor Katie Connor said the 16 reserved spaces are currently month-to-month at $50 per month and are not under contract, and staff will offer a lease running May 1–Dec. 31 to lock that rate.

Ed Bull, chief of staff, said the county assembled an ad hoc transition team after the lease was signed and that the team is led by a project manager. “Since the lease has been signed, we've gathered up a transition team and ad hoc, if you would,” Bull said. Bob Lincoln, a project manager on the team, described both short- and longer-term items the team is tracking, including elevator service contracts and landscaping, and said the transit district will continue to operate and staff the bus-terminal portion of the building.

Connor, the county auditor, provided numbers and a recommended schedule. She said the county plans to notify current reserved-space users after the court adopts terms and to put payments due on the first of the month "in advance for the month." Connor said the county will offer a lease that would lock the current $50 monthly rate through Dec. 31; those who do not sign would remain month-to-month and could face a $70 monthly rate without a lease. "If they choose not to do a lease, we're looking at going ahead and continue the month to month, but the notice will provide them if it's going up to $70 a month without a lease," she said.

Staff also explained operational details. Lincoln said the transit district will continue to staff the bus terminal from about 4:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. and to clean the transit portion of the building; the district is installing a new gate and ticketing system in May and will coordinate with county IT and facilities on the switch. After the new ticketing system is in place, Lincoln said calls to an entry/intercom will be routed to the county non-emergency sheriff's number so county staff can view gates and open them remotely if needed.

Commissioners and staff discussed courthouse and juror parking volumes. Staff provided counts they described as rough estimates: about 800 people entering Monday–Wednesday, 600 on Thursdays, and 400 on Fridays; the courthouse employs about 90 people plus roughly 58 community supervision employees, and juror summonses range from about 270 to 405 in a typical week. Staff said jurors receive validation cards to exit the garage.

A county official cited a statutory obligation for adult probation space: "Chapter 76 of the Government Code requires us to provide a building and utilities and desks and computers to adult probation," the official said during the workshop.

No formal vote was taken at the workshop. Staff said next week's Commissioners Court agenda will include a lease for the court's approval, authorization to bill on the first of the month and to send notices to current reserved-space users, and the possible $70 month-to-month rate for those who decline a lease. Staff also noted special-event charging policies may arise separately before Dec. 31 and would be brought to the court for decision.

The workshop ended with staff confirming those items will be on the next regular Commissioners Court agenda for formal consideration.